"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." - Pablo Picasso
When I'm asked to help a client with something new, it's usually close to the domain I'm currently working in. But sometimes it's outside my core experiences. When this happens it's an opportunity to expand my core competencies. Program Planning and Controls applied in new domains is one example.
This learning process starts with first principles, of course, so at the very bottom of any new knowledge are similar principles. This is the case for most anything we do. Go back to first principles and determine by what principle does this new knowledge have validity? When you find that, you'll have a rock to stand on in the exploration of new knowledge. If you're exploring this new domain with no basis for recognizing good ideas from bad ideas your contribution to the client's needs is likely to be less than they are expecting for their money.
When you hear we're exploring ask if that exploration has any hypothesis that is being tested, any way to recognize that the exploration is actually moving toward some goal, that the exploration has some way to measure progress toward the goal? No, then those exploring aren't actually exploring, they are just wandering around spending their client'ss money in the hope they will find something of interest they can call discovery.
We have a bumper sticker here in Boulder
Those who wander aren't always lost.
This is not true, if you're wandering around looking for the answer, you're lost. If you're a Boulder hippy and Ward, no problem. But those paying us have a reason to spend that money. They need something we can provide.
